The Meaning of Love
by Firenzie
Summary: This fic involves a school dance, lots of confusion of Tai's behalf (I mean Michi), Koumi, and Taiora (did you think I'd let that Michi last?). This is for Seiitsu, who waited 3 months for this.
1. Mimi's Mistakes and Mix-Ups

The Meaning of Love (Part 1)  
By Firenze  
  
A/N: Look, Seiitsu, I finally got around to it! After what, 3 months? I know this fic may turn out to suck, but it was hard, okay? I don't like to write about Mimi if it can be avoided, unless it's some serious bashing. I do hope you're all right with Taiora, and don't be afraid of the Michi, it won't last. What's a Digimon fic from me without Taiora? I know the whole dance plot has been used so much that it isn't even funny, but the dance isn't in this part and there was no other way.  
  
Disclaimer: If Digimon were really mine...I wouldn't let it get away with having such a crappy theme song, for one. Or any of that crappy music for that matter. (You can hear the rest of what I'd do if I owned Digimon in my upcoming fics! See, it's not a list, haha!) What's the point of disclaimers anyway? I mean, hello? FANfiction, we know no one here owns it.  
  
***  
  
"So...?" Tai asked nervously, his fingers crossed in his pockets. His heart was beating much to fast and he was sweating a lot. And he hadn't even been playing soccer. This was far more suspenseful, though. And nerve-wracking.   
  
"Well, Tai, I...ummm..." The girl hesitated for a very long time. Neither of them could breathe. She was taking a long time to make her mind up...too long...  
  
"You, ummm...., what?" *Why can't girls just straight out answer yes or no? Do they have to kill us like this? If she's going to say no, let me down easily...*  
  
"I don't want to go with you. I'd never go to a dance with you in my entire life. What were you thinking?!" the girl asked in amazement. "Why would you ever ask me? You're my friend! Why would we go together?" she shrieked with a sudden burst of anger. "Are you drunk or just plain stupid?! The answer is NO!"  
  
"I dunno, I just thought--" he said, very disappointed and hurt. *She could have at least turned me down gently.*  
  
The girl impatiently cut him off. "Well, WHATEVER you thought, it was crazy. How could you ever ask me?!"  
  
"I was trying to explain to you--"  
  
"Forget it." She sighed in frustration. "I can't believe you'd have the nerve to ask me, when you've got someone who actually WANTS you to ask her. Taichi Kamiya, you can be so stupid sometimes."  
  
"What is THAT supposed to mean?" he shouted as she walked away. "Is it so stupid to ask a girl you like to the dance?"  
  
She looked slightly flustered for a second. "YOU LIKE ME?! But...but..." she spluttered, and then her anger returned. "It's stupid if you're you and you ask me!" she called back and disappeared. "And plus, I'm going with Izzy!"  
  
"Now what was THAT supposed to mean?" he asked himself. "First she says no, turns me down harshly, calls me crazy and stupid, then tells me she's going with IZZY..."  
  
"So I take it you don't have a date for the dance."  
  
Tai turned around and saw Matt looking at him. "How'd you guess?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
Matt rolled his eyes. "So Sora said no? And for IZZY?"  
  
"Sora? What does she have to do with this?" he asked obliviously.  
  
"What do you mean 'what does she have to do with this?'" he asked in amazement.  
  
"What do YOU mean?" Tai asked, getting very confused. "Am I missing something?"  
  
"Yes! You didn't ask Sora! So if you didn't ask Sora, who DID you ask?" Matt asked, frustrated.  
  
"Who else?" he said with a shrug. "Mimi."  
  
"Mimi," he repeated disbelievingly. "Mimi. Mimi Tachikawa. Mimi, the pink haired freak, Mimi."  
  
"She's not a freak, Matt," Tai said angrily.  
  
"No, she's just a girl with cotton candy on top of her head. Wait -- that's her hair."  
  
"Why are you making fun of Mimi? Aren't you the one who liked her after the Digiworld but was too afraid to tell her, even when you found out she was moving to New York?" he countered.  
  
He had Matt there. After a few seconds of silence, he replied, "Well, I knew she'd come back, and I knew the crush wouldn't last. Now let me get this straight: you asked HER to the dance? And she's going with Izzy. MIMI?!" He thought for another while and then smacked his best friend upside the head.  
  
"Hey! What was that for?" He rubbed the back of his head. "Do you REALLY want me to ask Sora?" he asked in frustration.  
  
His expression clearly read: 'DUH!' "Why WOULDN'T you ask Sora?"  
  
"There's a million reasons! She's been my best friend since forever, and asking her would be weird. Plus, she might think that I DO like her, and our friendship will ultimately be ruined, no matter which way she takes it. Sora's not ugly or ditzy or anything, but she's just too much of a friend to ask out. Does that clear things up?"  
  
"Okay, so what are the other hundred thousand questions? None of those were good enough." Matt crossed his arms.  
  
"It doesn't matter if they're good enough," Tai said, "it matters if I believe in them strongly. And I do. Sora is just my friend. And I know for a fact she feels the same way about me."  
  
***  
  
Sora was concentrating intensely on her algebra homework, trying to figure out a very difficult problem. At least, that's what she should have been doing. The high school girl was lost in her thoughts and daydreams about a certain boy and was trying in vain to pay attention to her homework.  
  
"Why am I thinking this kind of stuff?" she wondered, chewing on the eraser of her pencil.  
  
DING-DONG!  
  
"Ugh." She ignored the doorbell and had finally gotten started on her work.  
  
DING-DONG!  
  
Sora sighed. "Mom, get the door!" It rang three more times until she knew whoever was at the door was not going to give up. "Wait a minute...Mom isn't even here -- I'll get it!" she cried, sprinting to the front door. She threw it open and bent over panting. "No, I don't want to buy anything."  
  
"No, Sora. It's me, Mimi. Your best friend?" The pink-haired girl looked at Sora curiously. "You look terrible! Does this mean you already know?"  
  
"Gee, thanks," she said sarcastically. "I'm perfectly fine. And do I know what?" she asked, letting her in and closing the door.  
  
"I guess that means you don't know. So don't freak out, all right?"  
  
"Why would I?" Sora asked, very confused.  
  
Mimi took a deep breath and said quickly, "Because Tai asked me to the dance."  
  
"WHAT?!".  
  
"I knew you wouldn't like it..." she said sadly.  
  
"We're having a dance?!"  
  
"Where have you been? It's only been all everyone's been talking about," Mimi said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Our first dance? Why would Tai ask YOU--?" she cried out.  
  
She put her hands on Sora's shoulders. "Calm down! I don't know why he asked me either, but I said no, don't worry. I couldn't go to the dance with him when you're so obviously in love with him."  
  
"In LOVE?! With TAI?!" Sora screeched. "Are you crazy?!"  
  
Mimi made some funny clicking noise with her tongue. "Denial, denial..."  
  
"Whatever," Sora said with a sigh, flumping back onto her couch. "Why'd you REALLY turn him down? How did he take it?"  
  
Mimi sat down on the other sofa. "I told you, it WAS because of you. As for the way he took it, I'd say bad. I said some really harsh...and stupid things."  
  
"Give me an example."  
  
"For starters, I called him stupid and crazy," she answered.  
  
"So?" Sora asked. "He can be stupid, but as for crazy, I don't know. Then again, he did ask YOU...I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"  
  
"It WAS stupid and crazy. He should ask you. But I came here because I need a favor, Sora." Mimi looked anywhere she could but her best friend.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Eye need Mewto get dizzy doo Eskimo eat you the pants," she mumbled.  
  
Sora was very mixed up. "Ummm...sure. Can you repeat that one more time for the people who DON'T speak gibberish and gobbledygook?"  
  
"I need you to get Izzy to ask me to the dance," she said in a rush.  
  
Her eyebrows raised. "Why Izzy?" she wondered. "And why do you want me to help?"  
  
"Because I told Tai that I was going to the dance with Izzy," she said guiltily. "And I thought you would help me because best friends are supposed get best friends out of messes like this. And you used to have the crest of love, so I'm assuming you know something about relationships. Of course you can't even admit your feelings for Tai..."  
  
"Do you want me to help you or not?" she asked sternly.  
  
Mimi nodded meekly. "Please."  
  
"Exactly WHY did you tell Tai you were going to the dance with Izzy?"  
  
"I don't know, it just slipped out..."  
  
"The real reason?" Sora asked, staring at her in the eye.  
  
Mimi squirmed uncomfortably at the serious look Sora was giving her, knowing that she was determined and wouldn't give up until she found out the truth. "Because I just may have a little tiny crush on Izzy..."  
  
Sora cleared her throat and stared at her expectantly.  
  
"Okay, okay, I think I've fallen in love with him, big deal," she said quickly. "But you love Tai!"  
  
"I DO NOT love Tai!" she said. "Stop trying to change the subject! How did you ever fall in love with Izzy?"  
  
"I guess it was sometime after the Digital World screwed our lives up...the second time," Mimi replied. "Honestly, I couldn't even talk to him the first time in the Digiworld. Especially knowing that Joe liked me. But when we left the Digiworld, Joe and I drifted further and further away...until I liked Matt. I'd spend hours talking on the phone to him, even in New York. My parents threatened to kill me a few times, especially from maxing their credit cards out so many times at the mall..."  
  
"Hello? Back to the point," Sora said, waving a hand in front of Mimi's dazed out face. (Or is that her everyday look? *Gets pelted with tomatoes* Okay, no more Mimi bashing...for now)  
  
"Oh, sorry. Well, I just stopped liking Matt once I moved back. It was just different. When it came down to it, Izzy was my hero. I never finished any of my assignments at all, but Izzy was always helping me out with it, even when he skipped to your grade." Mimi sighed. "Sometime or another, I was bitten by the love bug. But Izzy is more interested in computers than girls..." She hugged a pillow tightly.  
  
"Even computer geniuses have to have girlfriends. Cyber or real," Sora laughed.  
  
"You really think he has a cyber girlfriend?!" she cried, tossing the pillow across the room. It hit a lamp, but Sora shrugged it off.  
  
"Hey, calm down! I was kidding. Though I wouldn't be too surprised..." she drifted off and stopped at Mimi's horrified expression. "Don't worry about it. So exactly how do I come into your plan of getting Izzy to ask you out?"  
  
"Simple, tell him to ask me out," Mimi said. "Isn't it that easy?"  
  
"Of course not!" she cried thunderously. "I WISH! But no, it does not work that way. Does Izzy even like you the tiniest smidgen?"  
  
"I don't know..." she said, her face looking very concentrated. (Mimi...thinking? Something doesn't click here. *Tomatoes come flying* Sorry!) "What's a smidgen?" (I just had to add that stupid comment)  
  
"Is that what you were thinking about for so long?" Sora asked incredulously.  
  
"No, of course not!" Mimi burst out. *Yes...* she thought guiltily.  
  
"Okay, Mimi, do you think Izzy WOULD ever like you? You don't seem like you make the most perfect couple... You two are such perfect opposites."  
  
"I know...but I still like him. I don't know why. He's just so nice, and smart, and...nice..."  
  
"Very descriptive," Sora said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Why don't you try to spend more time with him? Have conversations, do fun things together... When's the dance again?"  
  
"On Friday," she said impatiently.  
  
"Oh, terrific!" she said, glancing quickly at a calendar. "You have...1 day." The excitement left her voice.  
  
"What am I supposed to do?!" she cried frantically.  
  
"Get moving!" Sora urged, pushing Mimi out of the house. "Find Izzy. Do ANYTHING. You can even surf the web with him or something, just hang out. In the meantime, I'll ask Tai--"  
  
"No! Tai's in love with me!" Mimi covered her mouth with her hands. "I have to go find Izzy!" She ran away and slammed the door. (Once she got outside, she tripped on her stupid, 10-inch high boots. *Tomatoes come flying again* Wait--does anyone seriously like Mimi? As a favorite character?)  
  
Sora leaned her back against the back of the door and slid down until she was hugging her knees. "Does Tai really love Mimi?" she asked sadly.  
  
***  
  
"You don't get it, Matt. I like MIMI. Not SORA," Tai said, emphasizing the two names. The two boys were now sitting in the Ishida's living room.  
  
"No, YOU don't get it. I know you know you love Sora, you just don't want to admit it, even to yourself, even though we all know you love her, and we all know she knows she loves you."  
  
"Huh? I'm getting majorly confused," he said.  
  
The other boy shook his head impatiently, his blonde hair getting in his face. "What will it take to make you realize it?"  
  
"If I don't see it, it probably isn't there," Tai insisted. "I love MIMI, all right?"  
  
"Forget it. I'm going to find SOMEONE who will help me." Matt paused and thought for a while. "Sora!"  
  
***  
  
Ring! Ring!  
  
Sora dashed to the phone and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Sora, this is Matt," the voice on the other end said.  
  
"Oh, hi, Matt. What's up?" she asked, twirling the phone cord, wondering what he could be calling her for.  
  
"I just called to talk to you about something sort of...personal."  
  
"Personal?" she asked nervously. "Ummm...all right."  
  
She waited for a few seconds, but Matt didn't say anything. She heard him being strangled by someone else. "Do you like Tai?" he choked out.  
  
"He's there with you, isn't he?" Sora asked. "If I know Tai, he's the one trying to kill you."  
  
"Exactly!" Matt shouted. "So do you?"  
  
"Do I like Tai?" she asked, her voice coming out in a funny squeak. "Errr...why do you ask?"  
  
"Because Tai asked Mimi to the dance," Matt replied quickly and started choking.  
  
"Oh, I knew that," she said softly, her heart sinking.  
  
"I'm sure Tai has something he wants to say to you!" His voice sounded distant, and Sora guessed he had shoved the phone under Tai's nose.  
  
Tai sighed loudly. "Hello? Sora?"  
  
Her eyes began to sting and feel watery. "I don't want to talk to you," she said, and put the phone down.  
  
"See? There's proof!" Matt exclaimed. "If she didn't love you, why wouldn't she want to talk to you after she knew you asked Mimi to the dance?"  
  
"I don't know!" Tai exclaimed. "Now forget about me loving Sora -- I don't. The important thing is Mimi. And I know I have a few things to say to Izzy."  
  
***  
  
DING-DONG!  
  
The door opened, and Mrs. Izumi was standing in the doorway smiling. "Hello! Can I help you?"  
  
"Hello, Mrs. Izumi. Is Izzy home?" Mimi asked, faking a smile, but she was really fidgeting uncomfortably.  
  
"Yes, he is. IZZY!" she called. "Your girlfriend is here!"  
  
Mimi sweat-dropped. "Uhhh..."  
  
"GIRLFRIEND?" Izzy's voice yelled back. "Who are you talking about?"  
  
"Why, your friend with the pink hair!" Mrs. Izumi said. Mimi giggled nervously.  
  
"Mimi?" he asked, coming into view. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I need some help with my homework," she lied quickly.  
  
He nodded and let her in. His mom returned to whatever she had been doing earlier. "Okay, so where's your backpack?"  
  
"Oh, silly me, I must have forgot it!" she lied again, uneasily chuckling.  
  
"I guess that puts homework out of the question," Izzy said.  
  
Mimi was crestfallen, but she did her best not to let it show. "Well, I guess I'll be going then--"  
  
"We can just hang out," he interrupted. "You're not busy, are you?"  
  
Her heart leaped. "No, I don't have a single thing to do! I'd love to!"  
  
"All right then. We can...ummm...watch TV."  
  
"What, not the computer?" she teased, her heart beating so fast that she thought it shouldn't be allowed.  
  
"I've been on all day..." He saw Mimi's disbelieving expression. "Okay, so Tai did some weird thing and broke it. I've been meaning to get it fixed, but I don't even know what happened."  
  
"We can just talk then," she suggested.  
  
"I guess...want something to drink?" the redheaded boy asked.  
  
"No, I'm fine."  
  
Mimi took a deep breath and gathered all the courage she had. "So are you going to the dan--"  
  
Ring! Ring!  
  
"Oh, let me get that," Izzy said, dashing to the telephone. "Hello? Oh, hey, Tai!"  
  
Mimi's heart sank. She was dead for sure. Tai was obviously going to talk to Izzy about the dance. But she just waited nervously, unsure of what was going on in the conversation right then.  
  
"What do you mean we have a dance tomorrow? Are you serious?" she heard Izzy say, sounding clueless. "Are you going with anyone?" Izzy was silent for a few moments, listening. "Oh, you asked Mimi? That's great!"  
  
Tai clenched his fists. "Great?! YOU'RE going with Mimi, remember?" he shouted furiously into the receiver.  
  
Mimi heard her name mentioned and froze.  
  
Izzy slowly turned around and looked at her. "Uh, hold on, Tai. I have to have a little talk." He put the phone down and faced Mimi. "You said you were going to the dance with ME?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
She hung her head, but nodded. "I'm really sorry, Izzy, I--"  
  
"Why would you do that?" he asked curiously. Suddenly, anger came to him. "Did you want Tai to hate me or something? Is that it? Did you want me to lose one of my best friends?"  
  
"No, Izzy!" she cried. "You have it completely opposite!"  
  
"You hate me, don't you? You really, actually hate my guts! Did you just use me to get homework answers?" he yelled, tears springing to his eyes. "Is that all I'm good for?!"  
  
Mimi was horrified. "Izzy, I DON'T feel that way about you!"  
  
"Then why did you say it?!" he shouted.  
  
"Because I love you!" she screamed, and then everything was silent. They didn't say a single word, they didn't move, they didn't even breathe. The only sounds were the ticking of the clock and Tai's muffled voice on the phone.  
  
"Hello? Hello? Izzy? Are you still there?"   
  
Izzy inched to the counter, picked up the phone, and hung it up. All the while, he was staring at Mimi in awe. He opened his mouth a few times in a feeble attempt to say anything, but no sound came out. He gulped loudly and tried again. "You LOVE me?" he asked in total shock.  
  
"I -- I --" Mimi hesitated. "Ummm...errr...I gotta go!" she squeaked, running out of his apartment as fast as she could and slamming the door, the second time she had done that in one day.  
  
Mrs. Izumi came back into the room. "Is something wrong, Izzy? I heard yelling."  
  
Izzy shook his head, his tears gone and a small smile on his face. "No, Mom. Everything is completely perfect now."  
  
***  
  
2nd A/N: Am I the only one who got Everclear's "Wonderful" stuck in my head from that last line? I was going to actually say "everything is wonderful now," but what kind of person says "wonderful"? This fic turned out a lot longer than I expected. There's going to be another part, the part with the dance in it. And then after that, I'm going to twist it into a Taiora. Oh, and that whole "you hate me, don't you?" thing wasn't actually intended to be a real fight, because there's this inside joke my friends and I have. But take it however you want. Now thanks for reading, people! I hope you didn't think it was too bad, Seiitsu. 


	2. What is Love? [Baby, don't hurt me...j/k...

The Meaning of Love (Part 2)  
By Firenze  
  
A/N: Okay, now about this whole definition of love, feel free to skip right over it. I know it's long, but at least the title finally comes into play. Oh yeah, the definition was from Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary online. Also, I took out the dance portion from this. You have to wait one more part! Except the 3rd part is like all Taiora, so if you read it all for the Koumi (come on, the Koumi!), you don't have to read it. (Yes, I am a total dork, all right? If some of you people don't get out much, that was Limp Bizkit's "Nookie." Oh yeah, on shockwave.com, there's this cool parody of it called Pokee, about, you guessed it, Pokemon!) Okay, back to reality... Uhhh...enjoy the fic...and ummm...I hope you like it!  
  
Disclaimer: I'm sure you knew all along that Digimon wasn't mine,  
And if for some reason you didn't, now you do.  
It belongs to Toei, Saban, and all the rest,  
And with that said, now you can't sue.  
  
***  
  
"Main Entry: 1. love," Izzy said to himself. "Function: noun. Etymology: Middle English, from Old English lufu; akin to Old High German luba love, Old English lE of dear, Latin lubEre, libEre to please. Date: before 12th century.  
  
"1 a (1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties maternal love for a child (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests love for his old schoolmates b : an assurance of love give her my love  
  
"2 : warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion love of the sea  
  
"3 a : the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration baseball was his first love b (1) : a beloved person : DARLING -- often used as a term of endearment (2) British -- used as an informal term of address  
  
"4 a : unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1) : the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2) : brotherly concern for others b : a person's adoration of God  
  
"5 : a god or personification of love. 6 : an amorous episode : LOVE AFFAIR. 7 : the sexual embrace : COPULATION. 8 : a score of zero (as in tennis). 9 capitalized, Christian Science : GOD. - at love : holding one's opponent scoreless in tennis; - in love : inspired by affection..."  
  
His eyes were red and he strained his eyes to see. He adjusted the light on his desk and read the dictionary. "And there's still the whole list of love as a verb. He shook his head disbelievingly. "It seems not even the experts can define the meaning of love."  
  
His door opened and his mom peeked her head in. "Izzy, you're still awake? You should be asleep; you have school tomorrow!"  
  
"All right, Mom," he said with a yawn. He closed the cover of the thick book and switched off his light. "I'll go to sleep now..." He yawned again and fell asleep with his head on the dictionary. "Goodnight..." And then he started to snore almost immediately, the definition of love still fresh in his mind, and he wondered if that was really what Mimi felt for him.  
  
***  
  
Sora stared out her window. The Harvest moon was beautiful, big, yellow, perfectly round, and very bright. Normally, it made her feel very happy. But today, she was feeling horrible. On her window seat, she brought her legs up to her chest and hugged her knees.  
  
"I can't believe Tai loves Mimi," she said to herself sadly. "I thought we had...something. Maybe it isn't love after all." She paused and thought. "Exactly what is love anyway? And why does it have to be so complicated?"  
  
She wished she had someone to talk to. She was feeling so alone. Normally at times like this, she went straight to Mimi or Tai. Both were out of the question. She could've asked Matt, but it was 10:00 pm already, so it was too late to really talk to anyone anyway.  
  
*I guess I should sleep* she thought, immediately stifling a yawn. "There's school tomorrow...and the dance..." She trailed off, not wanting to think about it anymore. As she was getting off her window seat, a shooting star caught her eye. *I get a wish, don't I?* She paused. *What should I wish for? I should make it quick before the magic's all gone.*  
  
Sora stared back at the Harvest moon for a few seconds, still pondering. Should she wish for herself and Tai to be together? She just couldn't decide. But then she figured that wouldn't be fair to Tai, since he was in love with Mimi. She closed her eyes and finally made up her mind.  
  
*I wish that Mimi will get whoever she truly belongs with. Whether that person is Izzy, Matt, Joe...or Tai.* She gave on more glance, and then settled in her bed and drifted off to sleep.  
  
***  
  
Kari rubbed her eyes and sat up. With a glance at her clock, she saw that it was 11:00 pm. But she knew she distinctly heard voices. Cautiously, she got up and out of bed, careful not to wake Miko, who was asleep at the foot of her bed.  
  
She opened her door and walked out into the hallway. It was definitely Tai's voice. "Tai?" she called quietly, seeing light through the crack in his doorway. She gently turned the knob and looked in.  
  
"Kari?" he asked, putting the phone down and covering the mouthpiece. "What are you doing awake? It's 11:00, and you have school tomorrow."  
  
"So do you," she said. "Who are you talking to on the phone, and why are you talking so late at night?"  
  
"It's Matt. We're having...an older kid conversation. Go back to sleep," he urged her.  
  
"Why do you always think I'm not old enough to understand?" she asked disappointedly. "I know more about love than you think, you know."  
  
"It's not that," he said, sweat-dropping and panicking. "Just...just get some rest, all right?"  
  
"Then why did you keep saying Sora, Mimi...and love?" she asked determinedly. "It's about your dance tomorrow, isn't it? How you asked Mimi and she turned you down and Matt's trying to get you to ask Sora because you really love her."  
  
Tai blinked a few times. "Yes, it's about that. How did you know?"  
  
"TK told me about it," she explained. "Matt told him all about your situation, and TK told all the rest of us."  
  
His eyes bulged and he looked like he wanted to punch someone in the face by the way his hands were clenched together so tightly. "Hey, Kari...can you get out of the room for a few seconds?" he asked sheepishly.  
  
"Oh, you're going to verbally assault Matt, right?" Kari asked.  
  
"No, it's not that...we just need to have a private talk. Now shoo!" He picked up the phone. "Hey, Matt...there's something I need to ask you..."  
  
Kari obeyed and stepped out of his room for a few seconds, shutting the door behind her. She heard Tai shouting, mostly a bunch of words that if their mom knew he was saying, she would wash his mouth out with soap.  
  
"How the--" he yelled, "could you tell?! You idiot!" It went on for a long time until he simmered down. "All right. See you at school tomorrow. Bye."  
  
Kari came back in. "Is the attack over?"  
  
He nodded. "And the battle was won. I get to kick Matt's -- errr, butt tomorrow in front of the entire school at the dance. It was only fair."  
  
"About the dance...don't do anything you'll regret," she said.  
  
"No, don't worry, I won't kill him," Tai assured her. "You know how I always do a half-assed job with things."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "I don't only mean beating Matt half to death. I meant trying to break up Mimi and Izzy."  
  
"But you don't know how I feel!"  
  
"I only know how you feel about Sora," she said, walking out of his room. "Go to sleep now. You have a big day tomorrow."  
  
Tai sighed as he climbed into bed. Why did everyone think he loved Sora? Kari was right with one thing, though. Tomorrow would be a big day for all of them. But could she be right about the other?  
  
***  
  
Izzy dragged himself through the hallways. Next was science, one of his favorite classes. But his mind just wasn't in the mood to think about schoolwork. All he could focus on was Mimi. She was carefully avoiding him, but that wasn't quite so hard now that he had skipped a grade.  
  
He had searched the entire school for a glimpse of her pink hair, but he just couldn't find her. He wanted so bad to talk to her, or just to see her pretty face. He trudged into the classroom and took a seat next to Sora. "Hey, have you seen Mimi?"  
  
"Nope," she replied shortly, burying her face in her science book.  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
Sora mumbled something indistinct and looked away.  
  
"What?" Izzy asked. "If it's about the test--"  
  
"Great, we have a test," she said with a sigh.  
  
"You have the dance to look forward to," he said, trying to cheer her up.  
  
"More like, not going to."  
  
"Why?" Izzy racked his brain, a puzzle forming in his head. "Wait...you like Tai...but he asked Mimi...Mimi said she was in love with me... Oh, I see."  
  
"I can't believe he loves Mimi," Sora said bitterly, biting her lip. "Mimi!"  
  
"What's wrong with Mimi?" he asked defensively. "I don't think there's anything wrong with Mimi. I think she's absolutely perfect in every way. What's not to like about Mimi? What do you think is wrong with her?"  
  
"Nothing! I just wanted Tai to feel the same way I feel about him," Sora replied. "Wait...you think Mimi's perfect? Does that mean you like her?" she asked suddenly, sitting straight up.  
  
He nodded. "More like love."  
  
She sighed. "Exactly what is love anyway? Why does it have to screw all of our lives up? Are we even capable of loving people at our age?"  
  
"That's what I've been wondering ever since Mimi said she loved me. I don't think we'll ever know exactly what love is...but I know I feel it for Mimi."  
  
Sora smiled. "That is so sweet. Now you just have to tell Mimi that. And ask her to the dance. Hey, it's not like she's going to say no."  
  
"Thanks, Sora," Izzy said with a grateful grin. "Don't worry, things will work out with Tai."  
  
Both of them glanced over at the aforementioned teenager boy, who was talking to Matt. The two of them kept looking over at Sora, and Matt was constantly smacking Tai upside the head.  
  
"Do you think that's a good thing?" she asked.  
  
Izzy nodded. "I just know it. Everything will be fine."  
  
A heavy sigh escaped her. "Oh, I hope you're right about that."  
  
He grinned. "Aren't I always?" Internally, his smile faltered. Would things really work out all right?  
  
***  
  
Sora had been avoiding everyone all day. She went out of her way to not even get a glance of Mimi, and it was extremely hard for her to stay away from Tai, who was in all of her classes, but she pulled it off. She'd talk to Izzy, but now that she knew that he loved Mimi, it kept reminding her of Tai, and that made her feel horrible again. There was really no one else who would understand how she was feeling.  
  
She kept playing with her cafeteria food, because she sure wasn't going to eat it. She ran her plastic fork through a thick, lumpy, whitish type of food, which she supposed was mashed potatoes.  
  
"Exactly what is that stuff on your tray anyway?"  
  
She didn't bother to see who had said it, because she already knew. "Ummm...bladder wrack and some mysterious blue meat substance, I think. The whitish stuff is mashed potatoes...or something else unknown. And I'm guessing that stuff is either some pretty bad chocolate cake or some horse shit," she said darkly.  
  
"Wow, what's the matter with you?" Matt asked. He took a seat across from her. "The heavy sarcasm, the pessimism (is that a word?), the cuss word..."  
  
Sora looked down. "I'm just not feeling very well."  
  
"Why should you? The boy you love thinks he's in love with your best friend," he said, taking a bite from his sandwich, which hadn't come from the cafeteria.  
  
"How did you know I loved him?" she asked in surprise. "And what do you mean he THINKS he's in love with Mimi?"  
  
"It's pretty obvious you two have it bad for each other. Tai's just really mixed up right now. After that break-up with Rina, he's gotten very confused."  
  
She choked on her fruit juice. "He went out with Rina?!"  
  
"Yeah, well...he really loves you!" Matt explained. "He just didn't want to hurt her feelings."  
  
"So I guess he has a date for the dance, then. Considering his entire fan club must have asked him already," Sora mumbled.  
  
Matt agreed. "If he didn't have one, I'm guessing he does now. Though he didn't take Mimi's refusal quite so well."  
  
"It tends to be that way when the person you love doesn't even notice you or turns you down."  
  
"Trust me. Tai loves YOU." He ran a hand through his blonde hair. "But ummm...since he isn't exactly going to ask you to the dance--"  
  
"Gee, thanks," she said sarcastically.  
  
"--Do you want to go with me?" he finished.  
  
Her eyes widened; the question was not something she had even imagined would happen. But after considering his offer, she decided that it wouldn't do any good to have someone else get their heart crushed. "Well...I wasn't planning to go to the dance at all, but...I suppose so."  
  
"Great," Matt said. "I'll pick you up at 6:45." Then he leaned across the table and pecked her on the cheek.  
  
Tai, who was all the way across the lunchroom, just paid for his disgusting lunch and was looking for Matt. Finally, he spotted the blonde boy sitting at a table in the corner -- with Sora. For some reason, anger came to him. He watched them for a bit longer, and decided that Matt had just been trying to cheer Sora up. After all, she looked really depressed. But when Matt kissed her...he realized something. Tai never loved Mimi at all, and everyone had been right -- he did love Sora.  
  
***  
  
Izzy was pacing back and forth in the deserted computer lab. He knew he had planned to tell Mimi about his feelings and ask her to the dance, but she wasn't in the cafeteria, and he had lost all his nerve. He practiced what he should say to her.  
  
"Uhhh...Mimi, about what you said yesterday, that you loved me..." He rubbed his hands together and tried to think of what to say next. "I'm really glad you feel that way..."  
  
Mimi rushed out of the classroom. "Thanks, Miss Hirotashi! I really needed help with that essay." She walked quickly down the hall. She passed the computer lab and heard a voice, which she could tell was Izzy's, by the way her heart stopped for a second. But what he had just said...what he was saying...who was there with him?  
  
Izzy continued. "I wanted you to know that I love you too. I always have loved you. Ever since I met you, even though we were complete opposites...I could just tell. You've always been so beautiful, honest, absolutely perfect in every way... How couldn't I love you?  
  
"When you moved, I thought I had lost you forever. But when you came back, I was determined to let you know about my feelings. I wouldn't let you get away again without knowing. Then when you told me that you felt the same way, I felt that now was the perfect time to tell you." He breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to have that off my chest."  
  
Mimi, who was listening by the door, couldn't take it anymore. She burst into the room angrily. "Izzy!"  
  
He whipped around in shock. "Mimi!" Normally he would have been ecstatic, but her furious face wasn't looking so beautiful. "Are you mad at me?" he asked timidly.  
  
She stared around the room. "Am I mad at you?! I just heard your whole conversation! Just who were you talking to?!"  
  
Suddenly, his worries were gone. He thought she was seriously angry with him, but she only thought he was telling that stuff to another girl! He started to laugh.  
  
Out of nowhere -- SMACK! Her hand whipped across the side of his face. "What's so funny?" she demanded, and put her hands on her hips.  
  
He rubbed his cheek; for such a prissy girl, she had a really hard slap. "Nothing! No one's even here!"  
  
"Then what the hell were you doing?" she demanded, but her expression was going back to normal and then confused. "Were you talking to yourself or something? Do you love yourself that much, Izzy?"  
  
"No!" Izzy shook his head impatiently. "I was only practicing--!" He stopped and lowered his voice a bit. "I was trying to practice what I was going to say to you."  
  
The fire from her eyes disappeared and her face softened. "Oh...I'm sorry," she said softly. She cupped a hand around his cheek, which was still red. "Are you all right?"  
  
He had stiffened at her tender touch. "Ummm...I'm fine," he stammered.  
  
"So did you really mean all that stuff you said?"  
  
"Of course," Izzy whispered, boldly putting his hand over hers.  
  
"I meant what I said earlier too," she admitted, "and I'm sorry I ran off like that."  
  
"It's all right." He gathered all the courage he had and asked, "So you will go to the dance with me?"  
  
"Yes," she murmured. Then she leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek, the one she had slapped.  
  
A goofy grin came to Izzy's face. "Great." He became serious again after a while. "We may be young and naive and not have a clue about what love is -- or at least we used to be. That's what I thought. But I knew what love was all along; I learned it a long time ago. Because I found out what love was when I met you."   
  
"That's so sweet," she said, becoming misty-eyed. He leaned forward and they closed their eyes, and they shared their first kiss ever.  
  
***  
  
That's basically what all my fics are: a whole lot of sap and mainly all crap. There isn't much Koumi in the next part, and it focuses on Taiora. Not Michi (luckily, that's all gone!), not Sorato (just part of a plot twist; it ends happily), but Taiora. The next part actually has the dance. So the more reviews I get for this, the sooner I post it! (Just kidding, it's not even done yet, I'll post it as soon as it is) Just review anyway! 


	3. Love is... [Is what I got...j/k]

The Meaning of Love (Part 3 and final)  
By Firenze  
  
A/N: Sorry for the wait. I had this done yesterday, but there has been so many problems with ff.net. And as to why I made another part, I just like to do things in threes, all right? After all, bad things happen in threes (For the slower people, that pretty much means my fics suck). Plus, I'm getting too into this story, and it's running longer than I anticipated. Now in this part, there's the dance and Taiora! Most of the Koumi is gone, because I don't like writing about couples that are already together, except Taioras SOMETIMES. This will probably be sappy and turn out to be a song-fic, but stories never turn out the way I originally mean for them to be. I don't even know what age they're supposed to be. Fifteenish, sixteenish, same thing. Oh, and the dance isn't formal or anything. Man, I don't even know what time of year it's supposed to be! Just use your imagination.  
  
Disclaimer: If Digimon were mine, I wouldn't have even named it Digimon. The season 02 digimon would have cooler, more original names too. (Come on, Starmon, Hawkmon, Armadillomon, Pegasusmon, Deputymon, Wormmon, how sad are those names?) And while we're on the subject of names, they'd probably be more Americanized, just because I suck at making up Japanese names. If I still haven't convinced you that Digimon really isn't mine, you have problems and I give up.  
  
***  
  
Tai ran down the hallways, knowing where to find his computer genius friend. After the whole Sora and Matt event, he sure needed someone to talk to. "Hey, Izzy!" he called, dashing into the computer lab. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Izzy and Mimi in each other's arms and kissing. Tai sweat-dropped. "Oh, sorry if I interrupted something."  
  
"What's wrong?" Izzy asked. "Oh yeah, you love Mimi too..."  
  
"Love Mimi?" he asked in disbelief. "How I ever thought that, I don't know. I must have been confusing love and hate. How could I love that pink-haired freak?" He gave Mimi a nasty look.  
  
In return, she stuck her tongue out, and then they laughed. "I'm glad you don't love me. I knew it all along. It's Sora you love, like everyone must have been telling you."  
  
"Yup!" he said, but suddenly he remembered, and his spirits came crashing down. He leaned against the wall and slid down until he was sitting down with his legs up to his chest.  
  
"What's wrong?" Izzy asked curiously.  
  
"Nothing...everything..." Tai moaned, resting his forehead on his knees. "I found out that I loved Sora like everyone said, but I realized that when I saw Matt kissing her."  
  
"About time you found out!" Mimi said impatiently. "Do you know how terrible it is to see Sora suffering like that?!"  
  
"Well, how terrible do you think I feel after I saw Matt kiss her?!" he bellowed, clenching his fists. "What if you saw Izzy kiss Sora, huh, PRINCESS?!" The word princess dripped heavily with sarcasm.  
  
She looked guilty. "Well, earlier I thought he was talking to some other girl that he loved her and then I slapped him."  
  
"See?!" Tai asked angrily.  
  
"Only proving that you should have told her earlier," she argued.  
  
"Well, I only found out when I saw Matt kissing her," he retorted. "Oh man, I hope I don't love her just because Matt has her. After all, when Matt liked you, I thought I liked you too."  
  
"So if Matt started liking guys, would you like them too?" Izzy joked.  
  
"Matt liked me?" Mimi asked in surprise. "I always thought he liked that one girl...what was her name? Ummm...oh, Jun!"  
  
Izzy and Tai stared blankly at her, blinking a few times. "You thought he liked Jun?!"  
  
*What a ditz!* "Back to the important things," Tai said, shaking his head. "Not about Matt being gay, but we'll get back to that. How do I know that I really even love her? It could be that big-brother-ish-ness stuff. The one I felt when Kari and TK both found out they had crushes on each other."  
  
"Well, is it?" Mimi asked inquisitively.  
  
"I don't know," he moaned, putting his head in his hands. "I'm so confused."  
  
"Love does that," Izzy replied. "I should know." He glanced at Mimi, who smiled and took his hand.  
  
Tai looked up. "So is it love?"  
  
"You'll have to find that out for yourself," Izzy said wisely. Just then, the bell rang, and they had to rush to their classes.  
  
***  
  
Sora sighed, trying to fix her hair. She put it up in a bun and it didn't look right at all. Just like the French twist she had tried or even a simple ponytail. She glared at the mirror. A lock of hair out of place got in her face and she blew it away.  
  
"What am I supposed to do? Matt's picking me up for that stupid dance really soon." She collapsed onto her bed and lied down. "Why'd I ever agree to go with him?" A voice said in her head, 'It wasn't completely because I didn't want to hurt him by saying no, but that's part of it. No one else would ask me, and I might as well try to have a good time anyway.'  
  
She adjusted the strap of her dress. 'I wish Tai could have asked me. Maybe I should have wished for that instead of wasting that on Mimi. Never mind...at least she finally got with Izzy, so I guess it worked. It's just too bad...if I were going with Tai, I'd be able to actually bear wearing this stupid thing.'  
  
"Tai..." she said sadly. "Why couldn't he have asked me?" She felt sorry for herself for a few seconds until the doorbell rang.  
  
"Sora, Matt's here!" her mother called.  
  
"I'm ready!" she answered, pulling the scrunchy out of her hair and leaving it like it normally was. "As ready as I'll ever be." She looked at her reflection one more time to make sure she looked somewhat decent, then she ran to the front door.  
  
Matt, who was casually standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, gave her a small smile. He wore a forest green shirt with a collar and black pants. "Hey." He couldn't stop staring at her. Sora had left her hair down as it normally was, but it was shinier it just looked more fancy for some reason. He couldn't believe she had actually worn a dress, seeing as how she was always complaining about the uniforms for school. The dress was sleeveless and came down to her knees, and a dark crimson color. He was amazed to see traces of makeup on her face.  
  
"Is something wrong?" she asked nervously, glancing at herself. His stares were making her uncomfotable. Of course, if Tai was doing the staring... She snapped out of it. "What is it?"  
  
"No, it's just that..." he waved it off. "Never mind. Let's go."  
  
"Okay." Sora grabbed a thin jacket and put it over her shoulders. "Bye, mom!"  
  
"Come back home right after the dance," she said sternly.  
  
"All right," she agreed. She wasn't planning on staying for the whole dance anyway. She looked around the street. "You didn't bring your car?"  
  
"No license yet, remember?" he said. "Plus, my dad would never trust me with a car and a girl."  
  
"If you even tried it, I'd kill you," she threatened. 'Oh, why couldn't I be with Tai?' "So are we taking a scooter or something?" she asked sarcastically.  
  
"TK wouldn't let me borrow it or his skateboard either. My bike is rusting away somewhere in storage. We can walk, can't we?" Matt asked.  
  
"I guess so," she said. 'He's sure no gentleman.'  
  
The evening was slightly chilly, and the sky was darkening already. Sora shivered, but not from the weather. She felt uncomfortable going to the dance with Matt. He thought she was cold and tried to put his arm around her.  
  
"I'm fine," she said, pulling away. Things looked bad already. At least she would be able to see Tai at the dance.  
  
***  
  
Sora sat down in a dark corner of the gym. A couple next to her were kissing. Even with the obvious pink hair, it took her a while to realize that it was Mimi and Izzy. She edged away to give them privacy.  
  
Matt looked over at her. "It's been an hour already and we haven't done a single thing but sit here. Want to dance?"  
  
She shook her head. "I'm not in the mood."  
  
"Want some punch then?" he asked.  
  
"Not thirsty."  
  
"Want to do ANYTHING?" he asked impatiently.  
  
"Not really," she said shortly.  
  
"If you're going to sit here and wait for Tai the whole time, can I at least ask a girl to dance?" he asked impatiently.  
  
"Knock yourself out."  
  
Matt sighed. "If you're not going to do anything at all but sit around, why did you bother coming?"  
  
"I thought I'd see Tai here," she said glumly.  
  
*So did I* Matt thought. *Where the hell is he, anyway?*  
  
***  
  
Tai sat in front of the TV, staring blankly at it.  
  
"What are you watching?" Kari asked, walking into the living room. He didn't answer, so she looked at the TV.  
  
It wasn't even turned on.  
  
"Tai, what's wrong? Shouldn't you be at the dance?" She took a seat next to him on the couch.  
  
"I'm fine," he said unconvincingly. "I just don't want to go to the dance."  
  
"Why didn't you ask Sora?" she asked impatiently.  
  
"She's supposedly dating Matt," he said bluntly. "Or so the entire school says."  
  
"She'd never do that!" Kari exclaimed. "She even told me that she loved you!"  
  
"Who cares about love anyway?" he mumbled. "And if she did love me, why did Matt kiss her and she didn't do anything?"  
  
"You're so stupid!" his little sister screamed. "Why didn't you just ask her anyway? How do you know Matt asked her anyway?"  
  
"Everyone said--"  
  
"Rumors aren't always true," she insisted. (I hope so! Did anyone else hear the season 03 rumors?!?! I don't even want to think about that!!!)  
  
Tai rested his head in his hands. "Forget it, Kari. I'm not going."  
  
"Just go already or I'll bug you until you do!" she cried.  
  
"Fine then!" he said, irritated. "I'm going out for a walk. I'll be back whenever. But this doesn't mean I'm going to the dance."  
  
"Whatever," she said, switching on the TV. "It's a Friday night. You shouldn't be sitting around doing nothing."  
  
"I could say the same for you," he said grouchily, pulling on a jacket.  
  
Kari focused on the TV, not wanting to tell Tai the reason she had been trying to get him out of the house. It was because she had planned for her and TK to spend a night alone watching movies together, and he couldn't be allowed to ruin it. TK should be arriving soon. "I don't feel very social right now," she lied.  
  
"Neither do I."  
  
"Just go!" she screamed.  
  
"Okay then!" he yelled back and slammed the door. At least he could be away from Kari. But he sure wasn't going to go to the dance. He just needed some time alone to clear his mind.  
  
***  
  
A few hours had passed, and Sora had been sitting in the same spot for the whole time. The dance had reached its peak and everything was now getting quieter and back to normal. Soon the nightmare would be over. And yet, Tai had never showed up.  
  
Mimi came and sat next to her, sweaty and tired. "Whew, that was fun dancing. Why aren't you?"  
  
"You really think I'm going to dance with Matt?" Sora asked, taking a sip of punch, which tasted bitter. It tasted bad, but she had drunk seven cups. Her head was slightly spinning, and her last sentence had come out slightly garbled.  
  
Mimi stared at her. "Sora, you haven't been drinking, have you?"  
  
"Of course not," she mumbled. "I just have a blinding headache."  
  
"Maybe you should go home and get some rest. Since you aren't going to do anything at all here, there's no point in staying."  
  
"I guess you're right," she said, rubbing her eyes. "I just need to talk to Matt before I go. There's some things I'd like to know." She got up and held onto her chair until she was steady.  
  
Matt was dancing with a blonde cheerleader-looking girl in a skimpy gold dress with too make makeup, who reeked of cheap perfume. He saw Sora walking towards him. "You've finally decided to cut in?" he asked.  
  
"No, I'm just about to leave," she said, clutching her forehead with one hand.  
  
"There's still half an hour left," he said, pushing the slutty girl away from him to talk to Sora more privately. "You want to leave already?"  
  
She nodded. "I haven't been in the mood to do much anything tonight. I should just go home."  
  
"Guess you're right. Sorry you didn't have a good time. I need to have a few words with Tai later," Matt said.  
  
She perked up at the mention of Tai. "Why?"  
  
"Well, for one, he was supposed to show up. He ruined my plan by not."  
  
"What plan? You had a plan? Is that why you asked me to come with you in the first place?" she asked in surprise.  
  
"Of course! I couldn't fall in love with you. Tai and you are made for each other, and I couldn't get in the way of that. Just like with Mimi and Izzy. I kind of liked her though..."  
  
"What about the plan?" she asked, not able to wait anymore.  
  
"I asked you since I figured you weren't going to go to the dance. I knew -- I THOUGHT Tai was going to come, but maybe he got sick or something. But I just wanted you two to meet up with each other and then you could sneak some dances in, tell each other your feelings, you know. I just don't know why he didn't show up," Matt said.  
  
"Well, because people were spreading rumors that we were going out. He might have heard it and believed it," Sora said.  
  
"I'd never do that to him! I'm his best friend. And neither would you. Tai knows that."  
  
"You did say he was confused after the break up," she said with a shrug.  
  
"That's probably right. So now that you know everything, maybe you should go pay Tai a visit," Matt suggested.  
  
"No, it's too late. I don't want to bother them at this time of night," she said nervously.  
  
"Promise me that you'll tell him soon," he said to her.  
  
"I'll tell him eventually..."  
  
Matt cleared his throat.  
  
"Fine, I'll tell him when I see him," she surrendered. "But for now, I just want to go home and get some rest to clear my head." Her head started pounding. "I better go now. Thanks anyway for asking me, Matt. Sorry your plan didn't work, but I'm grateful that you tried anyway. Bye."  
  
"Bye," Matt said, moving closer to her. He was about to kiss her, but she just stared at him. "Oh sorry. About the first time too. It's kind of become a habit because of all the girls I've dated. Ummm...I'll see you later," he said awkwardly. As Sora left, she heard him muttering to himself, "Why'd I do that? Maybe it was the punch..."  
  
Sora walked over to the refreshment table where Izzy and Mimi were. "I'm going to leave now, all right, you two?"  
  
The couple was too wrapped up with each other to even notice her at all.  
  
"Well, bye anyway." Sora poured herself one more cup of punch, drained it all in a gulp, and walked out of the gym, her headache worsening. It had not been a very fun night, but she had going home to look forward to.  
  
***  
  
Sora walked down the sidewalk, slightly wobbling. "Ugh, I need some sleep," she said. She stopped and closed her eyes for a few seconds, but she was too unsteady and fell over. She braced herself, ready to hit the pavement.  
  
But she never did. She landed in someone's arms. "Hey, watch it, all right?" they asked.  
  
"I'm really sorry," she said, looking at the person who caught her. "Thank..." she trailed off when she saw who was holding her. "Tai!" she gasped.  
  
"Sora!" he said and dropped her in shock, making his catch useless since she fell anyway. Anger washed over him. "Shouldn't you be at the dance right now with your boyfriend?"  
  
She pulled herself up, with a few minor scratches and scrapes. She winced. "What boyfriend?"  
  
Tai sighed. "Stop trying to hide it. I know about Matt already. There's no use in--"  
  
She breathed in relief. "Tai, Matt isn't my boyfriend," she told him, gingerly touching a nastier looking scrape on her leg. She had had worse in soccer, but it had been a long time since she had played.  
  
"So what everyone said wasn't true?" he asked, looking confused.  
  
Sora couldn't help but think how cute he looked with that puzzled look on his face. "Of course not." Her promise to Matt and their conversation rushed through her mind and she clenched her fists, determined to keep that promise. "I could never go out with Matt...because I'm in love with you."  
  
Tai blinked a few times. "Are you serious?"  
  
Her head started stinging even more painfully. She knew this wasn't just a regular headache. Someone must have spiked the punch, and since she had so much, she guessed it was the effects of alcohol. The world began to spin, the ground disappeared from her feet, and she blacked out.  
  
***  
  
"Tai, what happened?"  
  
"I don't really know, she just kind of passed out..."  
  
"Is she all right?"  
  
"I hope so..."  
  
Sora heard two voices that sounded distant and faraway. She opened one eye and saw that she was in the Kamiya's apartment. Tai was carrying her and looking very panicked. Kari was also there, bombarding her older brother with questions.  
  
He sighed in relief when Sora feebly said, "Tai?"  
  
"Thank god you're all right. Aren't you?" he asked, looking worried again.  
  
"I'm fine," she whispered. "My head is still killing me, but other than that, I'm okay."  
  
Tai walked her over to the living room and let her lie down on the couch. "Maybe you should rest. What made you pass out like that?"  
  
She was disappointed that he was holding her anymore, but it must have been a long walk. "Eight cups...the punch...spiked..." she said, not making sense.  
  
"Oh man...you're sure you're okay? Do you need anything?" he asked, kneeling by the couch and holding one of her hands in his.  
  
Kari snapped a picture with her camera, giggled, and snuck away to leave the two alone. TK came out of the closet he had been hiding in and left the apartment, hoping Tai was too busy with Sora to notice.  
  
"No, I don't want to be a bother you," she said weakly. "I'm sorry."  
  
"What for?" he asked softly.  
  
"Passing out like that...making you carry me all the way here..."  
  
"Oh, Sora, it wasn't your fault," Tai said understandingly.  
  
"Agreeing to go with dance with Matt..." she finished.  
  
He looked down at their clasped hands. "What happened then? Why'd you leave so early?"  
  
Sora smiled mistily at him. "I wanted to be with you the whole time, but you never showed up."  
  
"What you said to me earlier," he said, looking confused and anxious at the same time, "you weren't just saying that because you weren't yourself, were you?"  
  
"Of course not," she whispered. "I really do love you."  
  
Tai's eyes brimmed with tears. "I really do love you too," he said with a smile.  
  
"What are we crying about then?" she asked, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
"Happiness?" he suggested. "Sora, I've never been happier in my entire life."  
  
"Me neither, Tai. I never knew you loved me too...what about Mimi?" she asked suddenly.  
  
"Oh, I never loved her. I was really mixed up," he explained. "It's always been you."  
  
"I've loved you since forever too," she said, unable to stop smiling, but still crying at the same time.  
  
Tai had a dreamy look on his face and was about to say something else, but he cut himself off. "Man, this is really, really sappy and mushy."  
  
"I know," Sora agreed, her smile fading and her tears stopping. "One of those fake, happily ever after kind of things. With perfect endings and lives and true love..."  
  
"Oh, but it'll work out," he said, looking on the bright side. "I hope. Just live life today and don't worry so much about the future."  
  
"You're a wise one, Tai Kamiya." Sora held his hand tighter. "Except of course when you thought you loved Mimi."  
  
"Shut up," he said amiably. "Nothing's perfect."  
  
"Exactly! Going back to what we were talking to earlier..."  
  
"Trust me, Sora, it HAS to work out. Because this is true love."  
  
"How do you know? We can't possibly know what love is at our age," Sora said. "We're too young..."  
  
Tai put his finger to her lips. "No, stop that. Love is ageless, Sora, remember that. Hey, you had the crest of love...I learned what it was from you!"  
  
"No," she disagreed, "We learned it from each other. And we never quite had to learn it, because it was always there. We only had to understand it to know our feelings. But there are lots of kinds of love, so maybe it's not possible to know what it means. Yeah, there must be a whole bunch of meanings of love..." She droned on and on.  
  
"I agree totally," he said, scratching his head, obviously puzzled. "Whatever the heck you said."  
  
"Never mind," she said, grinning. *Typical Tai* "Are you going to kiss me yet?"  
  
Tai laughed and leaned closer to her. She sat up on the sofa and wrapped her arms around his neck to draw him even closer. Finally, their lips met in the perfect kiss. A kiss of true love...whatever that means to you.  
  
***  
  
After Thoughts: I don't know if it can get any cheesier... Cheese+sap+mush+fluff+Taiora+bad writing= my fics! But that was so totally not the way I had planned it to be. It was going to be where Tai did go to the dance and got jealous of Matt, who was having a really good time with Sora, blah, blah, but I figured it was too cliche. I wanted to find another kind of plot, but I couldn't think of one...see, some things are better not planned! Huh? A fic I actually like? Must be backwards day...so I bet everyone will hate this. I hope not, because I didn't do any of my homework to finish this finally. I'm sorry to say that this is over, because it's been fun! I hoped you all liked it too! Remember Seiitsu, this was pretty much all for you! 


End file.
